


the leviathan

by inkyvoid (atramento)



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Emotional Constipation, Farley you old shit love your son, Ficlet, Gen, Grumpy Old Men, Injury, Sea Monsters, ok fine if you don't I WILL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28260288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atramento/pseuds/inkyvoid
Summary: Farley Havelock's ship is sank-- and his son has something to say about that to the massive sea creature what sunk it.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	the leviathan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nomlakie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomlakie/gifts).



Jamie was leaning over-side of his father’s ship, watching the waves chop against its hull. Nothing too interesting thus far; the sun peeked through the clouds on occasion and mostly the crew kept to themselves. He was not quite ready to undergo heavy duty work upon the ship and there were no other children his age aboard, so finding amusement was all the young Havelock could do.

At least it was all he could do until he swore he saw a dark, slithering shadow underneath the water. Jamie recoiled from the ship’s side and stumbled over to where his father stood. 

“Pops--” Jamie tugged on his father’s sleeve. “Pops there’s a leviathan--” 

The admiral looked down upon him with discerning blue eyes. “Boy, you need to go back to bed. There’s no such thing.” Jamie huffs. 

“I know what I saw, Pops. It was long and slithered, it...” Jamie was interrupted when the entire ship twitched violently to the left. “Augh! See?!” Jamie wobbled, hand still gripping his father’s sleeve. 

Havelock dismissed his son’s presence and walked into where the crew were dithering about. “What happened? What was that?!” Jamie did not wait to hear the rest, going back over to the side. Waiting.... waiting for the Leviathan. 

It happened in an instant-- Jamie had not even felt his feet leave the gravity of the deck before he was deposited into the waters beneath. He took only a moment to regain his senses before realizing why the boat had tipped. 

The Leviathan. 

It had its long serpentine body coiled around his father’s beloved ship, slowly crushing it. Better it than him, Jamie figured. Still, this was bad. Very bad. Out on the open ocean with no defenses..? They were all Leviathan bait now. And Havelock’s shouting only seemed to increase when they all realized the horrendous beast was going to topple the boat’s remains into the waters. 

It was a dull yet powerful thud, that sent dual tidal waves out cresting from the battered, crushed remains of the ship. Jamie only felt minute gratuity that it was not a wave he should have to face. He did realize however that he was swimming towards the Leviathan in order to escape the downfall of water. 

Perhaps it was the Leviathan’s presence-- or perhaps it was the ship’s crash-- but a storm overtook the peace from earlier, accentuating how much trouble they were all into. Maybe even if his old man  _ had  _ listened it would not have been enough.

Jamie’s eyes narrowed in sudden determination. He began paddling towards the Leviathan; setting as steady a course as he could go in this stormy brew. It was time to show this creature why it should not have messed with a Havelock. Much less two Havelocks...

As he reached the coiled body, he swore he heard his father’s voice. He could make out “....boy...” and that was about it. The leviathan was much closer than his old man, staring about with cold monstrous slit eyes. It let out a roar and Jamie was forced to hold onto its side or be forced further away from it. 

“Boy!” Havelock’s voice cut against the peal of thunder. “Boy don’t do it! I know what you’re thinking!” Jamie looked out to where he swore his father was floating hapless in the water. 

And he ignored him. 

He began climbing, using its own scales as footholds. They cut into his gloved hands a little-- occasionally biting at his bare flesh-- but Jamie was hardly deterred. He knew what he was going to do and no small amounts of pain would cease his path upward. 

“Boy!” Havelock tried again. His voice crackled. “....Jamie!” Havelock, in all of his years present, had never called Jamie by name. But just now he did-- watching his son nearly slide off the Leviathan out to a height of water that would surely damage him. 

For a twelve year old he was reaching the head of the Leviathan in rather short order. _ Some Leviathan _ , Jamie thought. Must be a child Leviathan for how easy it was for him to climb onto it. His confidence dropped considerably when the Leviathan’s eyes darted to where he was regaining a foothold near its jaw. 

“Nice... beast...” Jamie grunted. It growled and snapped at him only to realize Jamie was tantalizingly out of its reach. “Gah, dammit!” Jamie decided enough was enough and drew the knife he kept in his boot out. “Eat this you overgrown Tyvian sushi bastard--!” 

His ears rang for a moment after he stabbed the Leviathan. It had let out a screech of pained abandon, pushing back some more of the waves and debris. 

Jamie did not falter however, just as he never really had before when called to action. He tore the knife out the side of the Leviathan and stabbed closer to one of its eyes. Almost vengefully Jamie cut the knife up through the exposed flesh under and around the scales-- finally guiding the knife right into its tender eye. He had to admit it was cathartic, even with all of the shrieking. 

The Leviathan must have certainly decided this crew was not worth the trouble after that; it slung its head violently side to side. Jamie’s knife slicked out of the damaged eye and fell into the water. Jamie himself held on for only a few seconds longer before the thrashing shook him off. 

He did not have time to be terrified of being in the air before the impact of the water below smacked into him. Jamie’s spine, head-- his entire body in fact-- became wracked with pain. 

A groan escaped his lips, but it was all he could emit. All the effort he could give without hurting himself further or without sinking himself further under the cruel embrace of the waters. 

With fading vision he watched the Leviathan writhe away, cursing his name. 

\---

In all of his years alive, Havelock had never seen someone so foolhardy. He supposed if that ‘honor’ had to belong to anyone, his own son would do nicely. 

He was watching Jamie climb the beast alone, without any sort of gear or preparation. Normally this would cause a swell of pride; this was not a normal circumstance however. His only son was climbing a dangerous mythical beast to.... to do what? Die? Did he wish to meet his ancestors so soon?! 

The admiral felt a sort of simmering desperation as he tried over and over to appeal to Jamie’s reason. Or cowardice? Whichever it was, Jamie was not listening at all. 

Havelock was never a man to beg; he made his own fortunes and he did not exactly wish to start begging now. But he almost began to when he saw his son’s body flail limply off the Leviathan’s face. Sure, its eye was closed shut and it was retreating fast-- but at the cost of his son. 

Farley began swimming over to where he hoped there was still a son left to scold. 

\---

“....he’s coming to...!” A voice chimed from beside Jamie’s head. It was young-- almost annoying-- but in light of the Leviathan also welcome. 

Jamie winced as the voice sounded off again. “Momma, Jamie is waking up!” His eyes opened a crack to light. He closed them immediately because it was painful. 

“Amelia, give him some space.” That had to be Amelia’s mother. She seemed to be at Jamie’s other side-- no doubt tending to his father. “He’s going to be in a lot of pain and the best you can do is to be gentle and supporting.” She was not wrong; every time Jamie so much as moved a finger it hurt. 

“Okay momma! I’ll get him some water!” The pitterpat of feet trailed away from Jamie’s bed. He attempts opening his eyes again and sees he is present in a well-lit infirmary. Was he not in the water seconds ago? Was he not dying?!

His father is on his left, resting and letting Amelia's mom take his vitals. There is a bruise on one of his shoulders extending to his back. It looked about as painful as Jamie felt. 

“Hey. Boy.” Havelock’s slow drawl came out even more crumbling than usual. “Don’t ever worry me like that again, I’ll bust your foolish little ass. Got me boy?” His lips never move except to speak and yet Jamie can see the mirth in his eyes. It was sort of an understood thing between them. 

“Right. Pops...” Jamie managed to croak out, grinning. He was proud of himself despite the pain-- and he knew Havelock was proud too. The extra pain of replacing his ship would come later but for now... 

Amelia came back in holding an almost brimming cup of water. “I brought him water--” Her eyes widened and she almost dropped the cup. “He’s awake!” She rushed over. “Jamie is awake, just like I said!” As she set the cup down, Jamie saw a pair of dark eyes behind dark hair peek out. 

Emily Kaldwin? When did she-- 

“Jamie, are you alright?” Emily stepped out shyly, her father Corvo trailing behind as a silent looming shadow. “I came as soon as I heard; you fought the Leviathan?” If Corvo thought Jamie was too dangerous to be around his daughter he said nothing. 

Emily joins Amelia’s side and the two have varied levels of a small wondrous grin upon their faces.

“Did you really stab the Leviathan?” 

“I also heard he climbed the beast himself! Is that true?” 

Jamie felt his face warm and color, he looked away from them both with a grunt. He regretted it immediately when he saw his father’s smarmy grin. Smug old bastard... he would get him later. 

Luckily, their caretaker was still feeling merciful. “Girls, Jamie’s going to have trouble speaking. He fell into the water at a height which normally would crush or kill someone. You’re lucky, little man-- your family’s monster constitution saved you.” Unfortunately the words “monster constitution” inspired an even brighter grin in his two young lady admirers. 

“Jamie isn’t a monster but he sure is awesome!” Emily cheered, doing a small motion with her fist. 

“Here here!” Amelia followed after with her own complimentary gesture. Jamie thought his face was going to wither off from how embarrassed he felt right about now. Was this a sign of how awful it was going to be when Tavish and Michael showed up? He hoped not. The older woman giggled and shooed both girls out gently; Amelia was already taking Emily’s hand and offering to share ice creams with her and “her Corvo” when they got outside. A quiet settled over the room.

“Better watch out boy. When they get older--”

Jamie frowned. “Shut up old man!” It hurt his throat but at least it got his stupid pops to stifle his voice to nothing more than amused chuckling. This was going to be a long recovery...

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little ficlet I wrote once upon a time... I love my friend's Loyalist fankids ok I can't help it i have a condition


End file.
